Drink Lots of Water

Muscle is made up of more than 70 percent water. A high-protein diet requires more water as do intense workouts since these both are dehydrating activities. Water is also needed to transport vitamins, minerals, supplements, and even foods throughout our bodies. If our water intake is too low, our muscle fullness decreases, and a toxic buildup of ammonia, urea, uric acid, and other bad stuff can start to accumulate in our bodies. That’s why, to stay hydrated and pumped throughout the day, we should make it a point to drink about a gallon of water each day with and in between our six meals.

Those are the basic nutritional principles in the Fitness Made Simple program. Following them will help build muscle and burn fat. However, if you are particularly concerned with fat loss, you need to consider one additional factor.

The Benefits of Drinking Water

Water is a magical drink. It helps transport vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients throughout our bodies, plus it flushes out toxins and other waste products. Our muscles consist of 70 percent water, so drinking lots of it helps keep them looking full and pumped.

I like to drink lots of water, about a gallon a day, not only for its health benefits but also because it helps keep me lean. You can drink it with and in between meals to curb your appetite and decrease cravings. A trick to stop overeating is to have a full 8- to 10-ounce glass of water before each meal because it fills up your stomach and causes you to eat much less than you normally would if you didn’t down the water first. Water’s my best friend when it comes to sticking to a lower-calorie nutrition plan.

After Exercise

When you have completed your exercise regimen, instead of eating carbohydrates, grab some fresh fruit or water. The reason is that for a minimum of an hour after exercise, the body is still breaking down fat. You need to allow the body to finish doing its job.

Making Fitness a Priority and Readjusting your Mindset

Everyone complains about time limitations. People justify not working out or eating healthy by saying, “I don’t have time.” If this is the case, you have to make time.

It’s not that hard to do. Think of fitness as a priority, something that you must fit in, like going to work, eating, sleeping, or even using the bathroom. It should be that much of a staple. Everyone has 24 hours in a day. That’s a lot of time. What matters is how you fill those hours. Take a moment to list all of the things you’re doing now that you make time for and ask yourself how important they are to you and your happiness. Are they more important than improving your health and getting the body you want? More important than feeling better? When I used this simple technique, I couldn’t believe how many ridiculous, habitual things I was unknowingly filling my days with and putting ahead of my fitness pursuits.

Just write down your short-term and long-term goals as well as what you planned to do to accomplish them. Writing things down just makes them seem more real.

Don't be too hard on yourself

No one eats perfectly all the time, so don’t give up if you have a bad meal, a bad day, even a bad week. The same is true with exercise. There are going to be days when you may not feel like doing your A.M. cardio workout or lifting weights later. If that happens and you miss a day, don’t give up and tell yourself it’s hopeless. Just try to make progress the next day.

Once again, keep in mind that the first few weeks of anything new can be difficult. You’re trying to change a lifetime of habits, and it can’t be done in a single day. It’s crucial to look at your new fitness lifestyle as just that—a lifestyle. Trust that you are taking control of your life and changing it for the better. Look to the future with a sense of eagerness and excitement!